


Kom Polis

by ThisPeep



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, set just after the season 2 finale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 15:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4396592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisPeep/pseuds/ThisPeep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke lied to Bellamy-- she knew where she was going. Who she was going to go to. </p>
<p>Now all she has to do is actually make it to Polis, to Lexa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Step 1: Find Grounders

Clarke watched the stream trickle in front of her. She’d checked two of their known villages so far-- the grounders couldn’t all just be _gone_. She was alone. She could barely fend for herself out here, she wasn’t a warrior. She was a leader.

A killer.

She just had to find someone to take her to Polis. There was a village not too far away from her, then. It might have people. It was further away from Camp Jaha then the other two she visited, they may have just cleared out the closer by ones from fear of retribution for the betrayal. It made sense, but it made it harder for Clarke.

There was still time before the sun went down. Clarke leaned in to fill the rest of her canteen before standing up, hooking it to her belt and starting to walk again. She could get in another two hours of walking before it’d be safer to find a tall tree to sleep in, try not to fall out and die during the night.

Try to get down when she woke up without breaking her legs. Then try to find the next village. Great plan, no way it could go wrong. There was only so many grounder places she knew of, this one was one of her last chances. She’d been looking for anyone for almost a week, and there was another day of travel before she reached her destination, if it was where she thought it was. And if she was where she thought she was.

Clarke sighed, watching her feet as she walked, listening to every branch snap and shift of ground that reached her ears. The forests were full of dangers. She only had a knife.

She made sure to glance up at the sun at regular intervals, keep notice on how dark it got. She wanted to walk as long as she could, but at night she’d be defenseless. 

When it got to the point she couldn’t see more than ten feet in front of her clearly, Clarke called it a night. 

Of course, it took another ten minutes to find a suitable tree. One with bottom branches high enough she couldn’t reach them on her own, but low enough that if she used her knife she could reach. Stab as high up the trunk as she could, imbed the knife in deep. Lift herself up using it, grab a branch, use the knife as a foothold and get up on the branch before retrieving the knife. Then climb up higher.

It was exhausting work to someone who didn’t have a warrior’s strength. But she had to do it every night if she wanted to survive, and she did.

For now, she’d survive. Then later, she’d do more. But there wasn’t that option then. 

And besides, getting herself safe usually tired her out enough that she got to sleep pretty quickly.

Every night she felt blessed when she didn’t dream. She was sure all there’d be at that point was nightmares about who she killed.

“To those we’ve lost…” Clarke murmured, and as she shut her eyes she imagined Lexa’s voice.

“And those we’ll soon find.”

Clarke shifted to get more comfortable. (Not that it helped-- comfortable and trees didn’t mix.) She opened her eyes up again and glanced up at the stars. “Find me, Lexa.” It’d all be okay once Clarke was found. Once she found the grounders, once Lexa found her. They were looking at the same universe, out there. They were so close in comparison to all of that. So close.

Clarke was close to the level of corpses she’d left behind, too. 

She closed her eyes again, willing sleep to find her.

 

 

Clarke blinked awake, sunlight hitting her eyes. She stretched her arms, yawning before shaking her head slightly. Today was the day. Another reveal.

Clarke leaned down and stuck the knife into the tree.

 

It was nearby, she knew. Somewhere nearby. It should have been there, technically, but Clarke knew she wasn’t an expert with maps. There was some leeway before she got worried. She could walk a bit further.

One foot in front of the other, she trudged. She has just enough hope to be annoying-- to get crushed when she found an abandoned village again. Just enough that she knew it’d hurt.

Still, hope wasn’t a thing easily willed away.

And the damn thing only grew when she thought she heard a voice in the distance. More to her left. Further forward. Clarke adjusted her course, and as more voices reached her, she straightened her back. Picked up her feet instead of dragged them.

She poured some water from the canteen into her hand and quickly washed her face off as best she could before taking a gulp to drink. If there was one thing she knew about the grounders, it was that she couldn’t appear weak.

When she could spot the small village, bustling with activity, she paused.

Deep breath in, and slowly let it out.

She looked down at her clothes. They were the same ones she’d been wearing when she was with Lexa, when she pulled the leather, when she left camp Jaha. They looked like grounder clothes. And she’d undoubtedly be recognized. She could do it, she could make it to Lexa. To Polis.

Clarke walked tall, heading towards the grounders, taking deep breaths.

Part of being weak meant not looking scared or desperate. Not giving away how she felt.

She caught the eye of a woman, and the woman froze, eyes widening, before she turned and ran out of sight.

More eyes turned to Clarke as she entered the village. She tried to return some of the gazes, but found her own kept darting to place the woman had run to. No one had come to address her yet. So there was no one she could talk to yet.

She set her shoulders back, carefully looking around. Even breaths. Not scared. Calculating, curious.

The sound of heavy footsteps brought her attention back to the passage the woman had gone into.

A warrior walked out, dawned in battle gear. (Just like Clarke was, she realized. She hadn’t meant to present herself as a threat.)

Clarke cleared her throat. “I am Clarke, kom Skaikru.”

The man tilted his head, looking her over. “We know who you are, Clarke of the sky people. Why are you here? Do you seek revenge?”

Clarke couldn’t help a short laugh-- she’d been in solitary for a week after slaughtering hundreds of people. And he thought she sought revenge. She lifted up her arms. “Does it look like I’m here for a fight?”

He didn’t smile. “You could have your army with you.”

She shook her head softly. “I left my people.”

“Why?” 

“I carry a burden I can only be reminded of when I look at them. I carry so they don’t have to, but I can’t be around them when I do.” She swallowed, letting her arms fall back to her sides.

“So why are you here?” The warrior pressed, and his hand was still rested on the handle of his blade.

Right. Time for the demand. Clarke fixed her posture-- again-- and she made sure her voice came out sure and strong. “To be taken to Polis. I seek audience with Lexa, your commander.”

Too specific, apparently, because the man’s eyes narrowed and his grip on the handle of his sword tightened. “And how do you know where she is?”

“She told me.” Said like it was obvious. “She wanted me to go with her, after.”

“You think she wants to see you now?”

Clarke sent him a glare. “She betrayed me, not the other way around.”

“Then why do you care to see her?”

Clarke hesitated. She need to. She needed Lexa. But saying that wouldn’t go along with the plan of not sounding weak. “I…” She glanced around before forcing her eyes back on the warrior. “We had something. I understand why she did what she did, I ended up doing something like it. I’m not mad.”

The warrior seemed to relax, and his hand moved to simply rest against the sheath. “You miss her.”

Clarke nodded. “And I know she misses me too. Will you take me to her?”

He shook his head. “No. But I’ll take you to someone who will.”

Clarke could have fainted with relief.


	2. Step 2: Get Taken to the Grounder Who Will Lead the Way to Lexa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new guide. Hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Translations for the Trigedasleng used in the chapter notes.)

More walking. Clarke should have known it’d take more walking. She’d seen grounders take horses before-- rode on horses with the grounders, but no. But her guide was walking, and so if she was to follow, she was going to walk as well.

She didn’t even know where she was going.

The warrior’s name, as it had turned out was Leedre. From the Woods Clan, of course. He knew Lexa. Costia, as well, but neither Leedre nor Clarke had been eager to talk about her other than in passing. He’d simply mentioned that he’d known Lexa’s past lover as well. (Clarke didn’t feel like telling him that her and Lexa hadn’t quite made it lovers yet. As far as she knew, that status was the only reason he was helping her at all.)

Although, really, neither of them talked much at all. There were a few attempted icebreakers from Clarke; she’d learned his name and that he was married with no children, had a brother who lived with them, and his fathers were well respected men. She’d only been able to offer up that her mother was still alive and her father was not before feeling like she’d have entered very definite awkward territory. 

Clarke had asked where they were going too, of course, but she hadn’t recognized the name. Nor knew if it was to be her new guide or if it was where they lived. She didn’t know much of anything, Leedre was much more talkative with other grounders than her and when he spoke to them it was all in their language.

Clarke had made a mental note that, if she got Lexa to welcome her in Polis, to be asked to be taught the language as soon as possible. They all seemed to be able to communicate in a global one, and it’d make everyone’s lives easier if she knew it.

And although she didn’t want to be that person who constantly asked the equivalent of “Are we there yet?” she really did want to make as speedy of a journey as possible, and Leedre had said it’d take just over a day. They’d left at morning and night was falling but they’d been making a good pace, probably faster than he’d anticipated with a drained… skyperson. 

“Could we get there before it became too dark?” Clarke asked, looking through the trees and trying to spot some sort of clue they were close.

Leedre shook his head. “It is not possible. We’d be at too much risk. You’d stumble your way through without being able to see as well and elongate the journey too far into the night.”

Clarke raised an eyebrow. “What, and you’d gain night vision?” She wasn’t the only one who’d have issues with the underbrush, she was certain. Grounders were skilled in the ways of the earth but that didn’t mean they’d do perfectly in pitch black.

Leedre took a deep breath, letting it out with a long-suffering sigh. “I can see why the commander likes you.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment.” Clarke replied, holding back a smile.

“It’s not.”

“It is.”

Leedre gave her a sidelong glance, and Clarke could practically feel him holding back another sigh. She let her grin show and could of sworn she saw an upwards twitch of his lips before he turned to face away from her again. “We should find somewhere to stay for the night.”

Clarke glanced around before nodding. “Alright. I’ll look to the left, you to the right. First one to find a suitable tree wins.”

“Wins?” A confused glance from Leedre. “Wins what?”

Clarke paused before shrugging. “A feeling of superiority?”

And she was met with a blank stare.

“The comfiest spot in the branches?”

With that offer she got a wide grin. “Now that I can play for.”

Clarke returned the smile before going to the left, now determined to find one first so she’d be able to sleep well.

 

Clarke shifted on her branch-- if she’d just gotten a few more minutes she was sure she could of won. She was getting near a good spot of good trees. Better than this one, even, probably! She sighed, turning to her side and taking a deep breath before slowly letting it out. She was getting closer. All she had to do was convince the next grounder to bring her to Polis. Shouldn’t be too hard.

If they even spoke english.

 

 

Clarke bolted awake at the sound of a collision, ripping her knife out of the branch just above her head and looking around. Leedre was gone. Did someone take him in the night? Did he leave? She glanced down.

And found Leedre at the base of the tree, standing up and meeting her gaze, frowning. “I didn’t meant to frighten you.”

He’d just jumped down. Of course. Freaking warrior types. Clarke sighed, lowering her knife. “It’s okay. I’ll be down in a second.”

 

Little over a day turned out to be right. After they’d started moving it was only a few hours before Clarke spotted civilization in the distance, and she couldn’t help but stop and give a sigh of relief, no matter how degrading the look she got from Leedre because of it was.

“Who are we meeting?”

“A friend of mine, knew the commander better than me. Her name is Carx.”

Knew the commander better. Clarke nodded but didn’t reply verbally. She knew Costia couldn’t have been the only other person Lexa had pursued. Clarke sighed and starting walking again.

“Carx and the commander were good friends growing up.” Leedre added, then glanced over to Clarke. “A big supporter of Lexa courting Costia. She was always trying to get Lexa involved with someone or another.”

Clarke glanced to the ground, bringing up a hand to run through the back of her hair. “Didn’t think I showed it that much.”

Leedre shook his head. “You didn’t have to.” He replied.

Clarke turned her gaze back to the town when he didn’t offer up any continuation or explanation. 

Well. Looked like Clarke’d meeting Carx, then.

 

Leedre had gone off to find Carx on his own, leaving Clarke by herself at what appeared to be a bar. A small bar. And it had food, which Clarke wasn’t sure bars usually did. Or, at least, she wasn’t sure bars did back when earth wasn’t irradiated. 

In any case, Leedre had gotten her some food and something to drink-- what, she wasn’t sure, but it tasted a bit like tea-- by trading some trinkets he had on him. He had ignored Clarke’s insistence that he didn’t have to, simply sending her a bemused look to silence her.

Clarke still wasn't entirely sure whether he liked her at all or not. He seemed friendly enough in general, though.

Clarke took another sip of her possibly-tea, leaning back against the chair and glancing around, noticing a few gazes quickly darting away from her.

She didn’t understand why they pretended they weren’t starting. She clearly wasn’t a grounder. Made sense that they would. And honestly, grounders didn’t always seem super about being polite and curteous. At least, not when Clarke wasn’t leading them to war. (And even then, it depended.)

When Leedre returned she quickly finished off her food, thanking him again before leaving with him.

And, well, the curiosity of a young girl and all. “Why does everyone keep looking at me?” She asked quietly while they walked.

“You’re not one of us.”

Clarke resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Why don’t they want me to catch them looking?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?”

“Because I want to know a lot of answers.”

Leedre sent her a glance for a moment. “They’ve heard about you.” He replied, looking ahead again.

“Enough to recognize me?”

Leedre the first snort of amusement Clarke had heard from him. The first amused sound she’d heard from him at all, really. “Who else would you be?”

“Are only grounders brought here?”

That question had to mulled over in his head. It was hard to answer. “People of the sky haven’t been here before. But sky people haven’t been most places of ours.”

That didn’t really help answer why they knew it was her, though. “So how do they know who I am?”

“Enough people had suspicions about you and the commander. The assumptions spread by word of mouth, there’d be no reason to bring anyone but you here. It’s close to Polis.”

Clarke let out a cut off expulsion of laughter, trying to pass it off as a coughing fit.

She earned a glare from Leedre.

“I’m sorry, just… gossip. They know it’s me because all the grounders gossiped about what they thought Lexa and I were doing behind closed doors?”

And it was clear it almost physically pained Leedre to confirm that phrasing, although a scrunching of his eyes was the only indicator of an otherwise withheld wince. “In a way. I suppose.”

Clarke grinned. “I never thought we were that different. Nice to see proof I was right.”

He didn’t bother with the glare that time, just have a small shake of his head and picked up the pace a bit. 

Clarke’s smile didn’t waver as she sped up to join him.

 

Leedre paused just outside a small house, nodding to Clarke. 

Time to meet the friend, then. No need for concern. 

Clarke walked in, quietly shutting the door behind her and glancing around. No one was immediately apparent. “Hello?” She called out, taking another step in. “I’m Clarke. Leedre’s friend?”

“Heda gon osir’s friend. Ba nou friend-- yu laik her gadafriend, laik yu nou?” A women stepped into the main room, looking at Clarke curiously. Must be Carx. “Em has nou been in hodnes gon long tiem.” 

Clarke stared at her blankly. “Sorry, I don’t speak--” She forgot the word for it. Clarke fumbled for a minute. “Uh. Grounder. Do you know english?”

Carx stared at Clarke for drawn out seconds, looking her over. “Some. From Lexa.”

Finally, someone who didn’t call Lexa ‘the commander’ or ‘our commander’. It was weird to always think of her in a leadership position-- having someone just call Lexa her name made Clarke much more comfortable. “I know a bit of Grounder.” She offered.

Carx blinked.

She much not know what grounder was. Clarke bit her lip, she’d heard the name of the language in Grounder before, she knew. Trig something. “Trigeslang?” The closest she could come up with.

“Trigedasleng.” Carx supplied, and Clarke nodded quickly.

“Little bit.” Clarke held her thumb and pointer finger close together. “Just a little.”

“A strik.” Carx paused for a moment. “Strik. Little. Yes, as well.” 

Okay. Clearly, this wasn’t going to be the easiest thing in the world. Clarke should have asked Leedre for some basic lessons while they were together, he seemed to be fluent in both.

“Can you take me to Lexa?”

Carx straightened up, she’d let herself untense when they’d been trying to communicate, but clearly she understood that well enough. “Why?”

Why. Question of the hour, really. Clarke wasn’t entirely sure. She had a few other options, of course. Other Grounder’s she’d helped, she could go look for other surviving parts of the ark. Back to camp Jaha, if need be. Not a ton of options, but a few. “I… I want to see her. I miss her.”

Carx’s brow furrowed. “Miss?” She held up a hand, moving her other pass it. “Meis? Miss?”

“Um, no. Not quite.” Clarke refused to try and act out her missing Lexa, though. She paused. She’d heard a grounder beg before, for his life. He kept repeating ‘beja’. She could take a guess at what that mean. “Just… beja. I care about her.” She wanted to see Lexa-- let her know she was forgiven.

Carx looked unconvinced, though. “Why Leedre think I should?”

Another really good question. “He heard about me. About me and Lexa. By, uh, word of mouth.” Clarke got the feeling that saying ‘gossip’ wouldn’t be taken well even if it was understood.

“Why you think I should?”

“I don’t mean her any harm. Beja.”

“Do you make her happy?”

Wow. Really fast hitting with these difficult to answer questions. “I want to try to. I don’t know, but I think I could. I think I did.”

“Does she make you happy?”

Clarke let her eyes drift while she remembered, and a small smile tugged at her lips. No, not really. Not usually. Not when they were talking about war or emotions. But whenever Lexa complimented her, when she’d kissed her… Lexa was infuriating sometimes, no doubt. But the few and far between moments were everything. “When she wants to.”

Carx finally smiled. “Wen em veens kom.” She nodded. “That Lexa I know very well. I will take you to her.” Clarke’s words rang true. And who was Carx, really, to stand in the way of potential love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im making up some of Trigedasleng but most of it is what's been put on the show. translations below
> 
> 1\. "Our commander's friend. But not friend-- you are her girlfriend, are you not? She has not been in love for a long time."
> 
> 2\. "A little. Little."
> 
> 3\. Meis = Miss. Showing that Clarke must have said the wrong thing, she thinks it only missed to miss a target.
> 
> 4\. Beja does mean please.
> 
> 5\. "When she wants to." Just repeating the phrase to herself.

**Author's Note:**

> they r so gay for each other dammit


End file.
